Lenovo’s ThinkPad T470 is not only the best business laptop overall. It’s also a great choice for anyone who needs to get real work done, whether they’re writing reports from an executive suite or composing term papers in a dorm room.
To help you decide whether Lenovo’s laptop is right for you, here are six reasons to buy the ThinkPad T470 and two reasons to skip it.
Which lenses are the ideal options for maximum flexibility? Here we take a look at the best zoom lenses for Nikon camera bodies.
When you’re deciding which zoom lens to pick, first of all consider which type of camera you’re shooting with. That is, whether it’s got an APS-C sized sensor, such as the Nikon D500, or a full-frame sensor, such as the Nikon D810 or the Nikon D5. If you’re using an APS-C sized sensor, you need to be aware of the crop factor. For Nikon cameras, that represents 1.5x the focal length written on the lens. So, as an example, the equivalent focal length of a standard 18-55mm kit lens used on an APS-C body is 27-82.5mm.
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Read full post here:
https://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/buying-advice/best-zoom-lenses-nikon-106468
Samsung is the No. 1 maker of TVs and has been for 10 years, according to IHS. It’s easy to see why. Samsung sets tend to provide excellent picture quality, and most offer useful smart TV features. There’s also a wide range of options to choose from. From a 24-inch 720p set that’s $160 to an 88-inch QLED set that’s $20,000, Samsung offers an impressive variety of sizes, styles and technologies within its various lines and models of TV sets. All come with Wi-Fi connectivity and the Samsung Smart TV platform, which lets you connect to streaming services such as Netflix and Spotify as well as social media sites like Facebook.
At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2017), Samsung unveiled its Quantum Dot LED (QLED) technology, along with a 55-inch TV that looks like a piece of art and displays paintings and photographs when it’s not on. This Samsung TV Buying Guide will help you determine which set is right for you, your space and your family’s viewing needs.
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Read full post here:
https://www.tomsguide.com/us/samsung-tv-buying-guide,review-4589.html
[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/7Iv_XtU8jRI”]
Welcome to the latest iteration of our Range Review series, where we walk you through key members of an important new model range. No need to get off the couch and over to your nearest car dealer for that…
The candidate this time is the new Honda CR-V, the fifth generation to wear the badge since 1995. Once again sourced from the company’s manufacturing hub in Thailand, the new model is intended to carry on the momentum set in motion by the great new HR-V and Civic family.
Indeed, while the superseded and ageing Honda CR-V felt a little off the pace against the Mazda CX-5, Hyundai Tucson, Toyota RAV4, Kia Sportage, Subaru Forester and Volkswagen Tiguan alongside functionally countless others, the signs this time around, are positive.
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Read full post here:
https://www.caradvice.com.au/570037/2018-honda-cr-v-range-review/?&ca_rd=route
A few days back we compared the GTX 1080 Max-Q to its regular notebook sibling and we were pleasantly surprised by its capabilities. Of course, it scored a bit lower than the higher clocked GTX 1080 but it was still very close while consuming far less power.
Today we want to see how does the GTX 1080 stack up to the older generation Maxwell-based flagships – the GTX 980 and GTX 980M. One of the best features of the GTX 1080 Max-Q is that it maintains high performance while severely lowering the power consumption of the regular version. However, the GTX 980 and GTX 980M both have similar TDP to the GTX 1080 Max-Q so it is interesting to see how three similarly-powered GPUs perform.
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Read full post here:
https://laptopmedia.com/comparisons/nvidia-geforce-gtx-1080-max-q-vs-gtx-980-laptop-vs-gtx-980m-gaming-performance-and-benchmarks/
This August, Torque launched three new phones from its EGO line, with two of them being LTE ready, supporting the 700Mhz bandwidth. The EGO Note 4G, Torque’s “flagship” phone, has a few novelty features aside from LTE connectivity: It has an LED flash for its front camera, a 1.3Ghz Quad core processor, 1GB RAM, and runs Android Nougat out of the box. But how does the EGO Note 4G, marketed as a budget LTE-capable smartphone, fare? We got our hands on a unit, and here’s what we found out:
With the Chromebook Flip C213SA, Asus hopes to entice students and their parents with a flexible, highly durable and wallet-friendly laptop. For $349, this Chromebook features an 11.6-inch touch screen, a rugged design and a wide range of ports. It also runs the latest stable version of Chrome OS, which lets users install apps directly from the Google Play store.
Unfortunately, the C213SA’s dull aesthetic, so-so performance and cheap cameras hold it back from earning our Editors’ Choice award. Still, for younger students, it’s a very good laptop that promises not to fuss over a few drops or spills along the way.
The Asus Chromebook Flip reminds me of portable DVD players of the mid-2000s. The edges of its dark-gray case are lined with light-gray rubber, which gives it a chunky overall appearance. The lid is also particularly hefty, while its screen is surrounded by thick plastic bezels.
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Read full post here:
https://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/laptops/asus-chromebook-c213sa
So many of today’s DIY security cameras cost $200 — or more. Fortunately, an increasing number of manufacturers are selling models for less. Honeywell’s $120 Lyric C1 Wi-Fi Security Camera is the latest example. Its main features include 720p HD live streaming, free cloud storage, local storage via an included 8GB microSD card and motion and sound alerts.
The indoor-only C1 also adds in two motion detection zones, geofencing capabilities and the promise of upcoming smart home integrations.
It isn’t an exciting or particularly innovative camera, but the price is right, particularly if you’re looking for extras like geofencing and an included microSD card. At the current exchange rate, $120 converts to roughly £90 and AU$150.
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Read full post here:
https://www.cnet.com/reviews/honeywell-lyric-c1-wi-fi-security-camera-review/
So here we are in the presence of the sixth generation of Monitor Audio’s Silver Series loudspeakers.
Granted, it’s not quite the same generational distance as between Danny Dyer and King Edward III, for instance, but it’s still an impressively lengthy lineage. Especially when you consider how much we’ve enjoyed each previous incarnation.
This time, the focus has been on creating a family bond – a sonic character running like a bloodline through each of the nine models in the series.
Monitor Audio suggests its new Silver speakers become simply more powerful and dynamic the further you go up the range, without changing characteristics.
The Silver 200s are the smallest of three new floorstanding pairs in this series.
Since 1986, the Civic Si has waved Honda’s flag brightly among affordable sport compact cars. Before Honda ever ventured upmarket with the Acura NSX or S2000 roadster, the Civic Si was its chief overture to gearheads, attracting disciples on the strength of its manic, high-revving engines, taut handling and telepathic manual gearboxes. A generation of enthusiasts — including me — were born and raised on a steady diet of Si models.
Honda rested on its small-car laurels for a while, though. And over the last decade, the entire Civic range grew frayed around its edges as new rivals stepped up with more power, improved technology and sharper handling. Thankfully, Honda finally roared back when it introduced a new 10th-generation Civic line for the 2016 model year.
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Read full post here:
https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/reviews/2017-honda-civic-si-review/
Since the vast majority of modern games – even on consoles – feature online multiplayer (whether competitive, co-operative or both) a gaming headset has become a pretty essential purchase.
It’s possible to spend as much on a headset as on a console, but is that really necessary for those who aren’t interested in one-upmanship?
Turtle Beach’s XO Three would suggest that it isn’t: it’s a no-frills, wired gaming headset for the Xbox One which costs a wallet-friendly $69.99 (£49.99, AU$79.95) and is clearly pitched at those who enjoy playing games but are neither made of money nor harbour aspirations to become professional gamers.
As gaming headsets go, the Turtle Beach XO Three is about as basic as they come. It uses 50mm drivers – bigger than you would expect at the price – and has a detachable, high-sensitivity microphone boom which can be bent into whatever shape you feel most comfortable with.
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Read full post here:
https://www.techradar.com/reviews/turtle-beach-xo-three
When buying a gaming headset, you should first assess what sort of a gamer you are. Turtle Beach’s new Recon 150 is clearly aimed at gamers without pretension – those who harbour no aspirations to jack in their day-jobs and become the next e-sports star.
It’s cheap – at $69.99 (£49.99, AU$99.95) – and basic in terms of features, eschewing bells and whistles like surround-sound and active noise cancellation.
That said, it’s also well made and comfortable and contains the basic ingredients to do a very fine job for those who simply play games for fun.
$70 gaming headsets can sometimes look a bit cheap and nasty, but that isn’t an accusation you can level at the Recon 150, although neither is it a headset whose fit and finish is classy enough to make your friends think you’re richer than you are.
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Read full post here:
https://www.techradar.com/reviews/turtle-beach-recon-150
LG will be announcing its second flagship smartphone of 2017 on 31 August in Berlin. The smartphone will come in the form of the LG V30, succeeding the V20 that launched in September last year.
Although in the past the V series hasn’t been made available globally, it sounds like the V30 will be so how does it compare to last year’s model? We have put the rumoured specs of the LG V30 up against the LG V20 to see what the differences are, based on the speculation.
The LG V20 features a lovely lightweight premium build with super slim bezels surrounding the display. On the back, there is a dual-lens camera setup with a flash to the left, along with a circular fingerprint scanner beneath the camera module. Branding is kept to a minimum with a small LG logo at the bottom of the display and a V20 logo at the bottom of the rear.
It measures 159.7 x 78.1 x 7.6mm and hits the scales at 176g. LG made the V20 MIL-STD-810G compliant in order to better resist shock and impact, but there is no waterproofing on board. The LG V20 features USB Type-C and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
The LG V30 is rumoured to be continuing with the premium design standard set by the V20 and G6, though rather than aluminium like the V20, it looks like it might have a glass rear like the G6. A dual-rear camera setup is expected again, though with the flash positioned inbetween the lenses this time round, and a circular fingerprint sensor is expected beneath the camera module again.
Based on the leaks, the V30 will measure 151.4 x 75.2 x 7.4mm, making it smaller than the V20 if true. No weight leaks have appeared as yet. The front will offer an almost all-screen front though, moving the LG logo to the bottom of the rear, while the V30 logo appears to be positioned in the centre. USB Type-C and a 3.5mm headphone jack are expected again, along with IP68 waterproofing and MIL-STD-810G compliancy.
The LG V20 features a 5.7-inch display with a Quad HD resolution that puts its pixel density at 513ppi. It’s an IPS LCD display and it is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4.
There is also a 2.1-inch secondary display with a 1040 x 160 pixel resolution at the top of the main display, allowing for access to various notifications and information. There is currently no word on whether the V30 will also offer a secondary display.
The LG V30 is however confirmed to be coming with a 6-inch OLED display, making it the first LG device to offer an OLED panel aside from the flexible G Flex smartphone. The 6-inch display will have a 2880 x 1440 pixel resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 537ppi, making it sharper and crisper than the V20 by a fraction, but the OLED panel will also mean punchier and more vibrant colours.
As you might recall, the V30 is rumoured to be smaller in footprint than the V20 despite offering a larger display. This is likely down to the change in aspect ratio. The V30 will offer LG’s FullVision display with a 18:9 aspect ratio, as found on the LG G6. It will also likely come with Dolby Vision and HDR 10, making it better equipped for entertainment over its predecessor.
The LG V20 placed a big focus on camera and video capture, as well as audio, being the first smartphone when it launched to include a 32-bit Quad DAC from ESS and feature ESS’s HyperStream 2 audio technology. It has a dual-rear camera with one 16-megapixel sensor offering an f/1.8 aperture and an 8-megapixel sensor with a f/2.4 aperture.
Laser autofocus, optical image stabilisation and an LED flash are all on board, while the front snapper is 5-megapixels with an aperture of f/1.9.
The LG V30 is rumoured to be coming with a dual-rear camera too, though the resolutions for the rear and front cameras have yet to be detailed in leaks. It could be that it will be the same as the G6 with two 13-megapixel lenses on the rear and an 8-megapixel lens on the front but we don’t know at the moment.
LG has however confirmed the rear camera will offer an aperture of f/1.6, which would apparently allow for 25 per cent more light than a f/1.8 lens, like the V20 and G6. LG also said we can expect laser detection autofocus, optical image stabilisation and electronic image stabilisation on the V30. We’re also expecting a focus on audio capture too, like the V20.
The LG V20 comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset, coupled with 4GB of RAM and a choice of 32GB or 64GB of internal storage. There is microSD on board for storage expansion and the V20 has a 3200mAh battery capacity.
Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 is supported and USB Type-C is present for charging on the V20.
The LG V30 is rumoured to be coming with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 platform, which should mean it is faster and more capable than the V20. RAM and storage capacities have yet to be rumoured, but we would expect at least 4GB of RAM and 32GB internal storage, with microSD support.
There is no word on battery capacity as yet either, but we would guess it will be around the same as the V20 or G6, putting it in the 3200mAh to 3300mAh mark. USB Type-C will no doubt be on board again and Quick Charge is also bound to be supported.
The LG V20 launched on Android Marshmallow with LG’s UX 5.0 software over the top, while the LG V30 will launch on Android Nougat with LG’s UX 6.0 software on top, like the G6.
The software experience will no doubt be similar between these two models but we’d expect a few additional features to arrive with the V30 compared to even the G6 so it wouldn’t be surprising to see some differences here and there.
Based on the rumours, the LG V30 will feature a premium design like the V20 but with a few tweaks here and there. It will also definitely come with a larger display, higher resolution and wider aperture rear camera.
Everything else is guesswork for now, but we’d expect to see a more advanced processor, more RAM and more camera improvements in the V30 over the V20. The V20 was a powerhouse of a phone so no doubt the V30 will be too.
We will update this feature as we find out more.
(pocket-lint.com, https://goo.gl/FBrFij)
Plush estates make great family cars, with the latest to join the club the new BMW 5 Series Touring. But how does it compare to its two most competitive rivals?
*** Note : £1 = $1.30
“Two’s company, three’s a crowd,” or so the saying goes. But when it comes to spending your hard-earned cash on something as lavish as a luxury estate car, frankly, the more choice the better.
So, we’ve assembled three estates that represent the crème de la crème of the breed, starting with the all-new BMW 5 Series Touring. More efficient, faster and roomier than its predecessor, it’s sure to be a contender, not least because it’s based on our 2017 Car of the Year, the BMW 5 Series saloon.
Except that it’s up against the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate. This formidable rival has, throughout its iterations, provided Middle England with a surplus of grace, space and pace, and this latest model is no different.
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Read full post here:
https://www.whatcar.com/news/new-bmw-5-series-touring-vs-mercedes-e-class-estate-vs-volvo-v90/n15867
Last month, LG announced the G6+, a new variant of their current flagship, the G6, with beefed up specs. It gets a bump up in storage capacity with 128GB and a HiFi Quad DAC. The Chinese and Korean models have 6GB of RAM, but the rest of the world still gets 4GB.
Since our review unit has 4GB of RAM like the original G6, we can definitely expect the same great performance. That being said, my conclusion in this review shall be whether or not it is worth spending a little bit extra for the G6+. Let’s begin.
As we can expect, the G6+ still carries all the same looks from the G6. It has an all-metal unibody design with curved corners and chamfered edges, making it lovely to hold.
Up front, it has very little to show, which is good, as it maximizes the space where the 5.7-inch QHD+ FullVision display sits. Above it is the 5MP wide-angle front camera, as well as the call speaker.
Flipping it on its back shows you just how nice and shiny the rear panel is. It is a sheet of Gorilla Glass 5 that sits on top of the metal frame, resulting in a glossy look, as well as serving as a magnet for fingerprints. You will also find the dual 13MP rear cameras with their accompanying dual LED flash, as well as the power/lock button that doubles as a fingerprint scanner.
The left side has volume controls, while the right side houses the hybrid SIM tray.
A USB Type-C port at the bottom handles charging and data transfer, and sits beside a speaker grill and the primary microphone.
Up top is the noise canceling microphone and 3.5mm audio jack that runs off of a 32-bit HiFi Quad DAC. We will be discussing audio quality using the DAC further on.
Needless to say, it is minimalist yet very premium and elegant in design. It is protected from dust and water with its IP68 Rating.
The G6+ has a really nice 5.7-inch QHD+ FullVision display with an aspect ratio of 18:9 and a resolution of 2880×1440. It sits protected by a sheet of Corning Gorilla Glass 3, just like the original.
Colors are very rich and vibrant, and the display event supports HDR content. Details are crisp and the display is very nice to look at overall thanks to its QHD+ resolution.
The model we have comes equipped with a 32-bit HiFi Quad DAC chip, and comes with Bang & Olufsen Play earphones in the box. The DAC performs well compared to stock performance on other phones, but only really shines when using a higher tier pair of headphones such as the Audio Technica ATH-M50x.
The included B&O Play earphones are somewhat a disappointment. Highs and mids are too sharp, and punchy bass is almost completely absent. It has an overall tin-can sound to it, but it is probably sufficient enough for simple on-the-go music listening, or even for phone calls.
Both of the rear cameras have 13MP sensors and have relatively wide apertures of f/1.8 and f/2.4. One of them has a wide field of view of 125-degrees, useful for both cramped rooms or vast landscapes. It performs well even in low light situations with only a single source of light.
The front facing camera on the other hand only has a resolution of 5MP, but also has a wide aperture of f/2.2, making it still usable for indoor situations where lighting isn’t that great. Check out the sample shots we took.
Resulting photos are really nice, with details on the sharp side and colors rich, but not over-saturated. In a very bright location outdoors, or somewhere with different light sources, we noticed just how wide of a dynamic range the rear cameras have. With the right lighting, the 5MP front camera really shines and is great for high-quality selfies.
It has a great manual mode, with a pretty good ISO range of 50 to 3200, and a shutter speed range of 30s to 1/4000s just like a DSLR. It is capable of taking photos with an 18:9 aspect ratio just like the screen, but you have to use the 4:3 option to get the full 13MP.
[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/5XJjqPeNrR0″]
You can record videos at up to UHD 30fps, but other notable settings are 720p at 120fps, 1080p at 60fps, and a 21:9 cinematic aspect ratio option for HD and Full HD. You also get options for bit-rate, HiFi audio recording, and focus tracking (HD and Full HD only). As expected, the cameras’ video recording performance fared just as great as it did for stills.
You get a few specialized modes to choose from including a pop-out mode, flat and 360-degree panorama, snap (3-second video), slow motion, food photography, and time-lapse.
Like the standard variant, the G6+ runs Android 7.0 Nougat with LGUX 6.0. The UI is neat and simple and looks a lot like stock Android. It doesn’t come with an app drawer by default, prompting you to use folders on the home screens for better app icon management.
Aside from the usual Google suite of apps, it comes with a few proprietary apps such as LG Health, Mobile Switch, and Smartworld. It keeps all the same great features detailed in our review of the original G6, such as customizable navigation buttons below, a number of smart settings, and App Trash.
Out of the box, you get a whopping 110GB of usable storage out of 128GB. It will definitely take you a long time before you consider expanding this with a microSD card.
The G6+ sports the same exact specs (save for the storage and regional 6GB RAM) as the G6. It runs a Snapdragon 821 quad-core processor, Adreno 530 GPU, and 4GB of RAM. Our benchmark scores were not exactly the same as the G6 however, with some being higher and some lower.
Here are the scores we got in our synthetic benchmarks:
AnTuTu Benchmark: 147,310
Quadrant Standard: 27,839
PCMark: 5,478 (Work 2.0), 6,062 (Work 1.0)
PCMark Storage: 4,148
Vellamo: 3,192 (Chrome Browser), 2,667 (Metal), 2,450 (Multi-core)
Geekbench 4.0: 1,773 (Single core), 4,245 (Multi-core)
AndroBench 5: 404.27 MB/s (Seq. Read), 163.17 MB/s (Seq. Write)
Multitasking was a breeze and playing graphics intensive games were handled by the phone very easily. It did run slightly warm while playing a game like Injustice: Gods Among Us, but it wasn’t unusable because of this.
Voice calls quality on the G6+ is excellent, SMS and mobile data are fast in an area with good signal coverage. As an owner of the LG G5, I was quite impressed with the GPS accuracy as the G5 has major problems in that regard.
Additionally, it comes equipped with dual-SIM capability, 4G LTE, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2, and NFC. The IR blaster that was present in previous LG models but absent in the G6, did not make a comeback.
In our standard video loop test, the G6+ lasted 13 hours and 27 minutes at 50% brightness and 50% volume (using headphones). The PCMark Battery Test was not able to complete due to frequent crashing. Using a Quick Charge 3.0 capable charger, charging the 3,300mAh Li-Po battery takes an hour and a half on average to get from 0% to 100%.
Despite only having minor upgrades, I believe the G6+ is everything that the G6 should have been in the first place. It is a top tier flagship smartphone with a massive amount of storage, a HiFi DAC for audiophiles, and has the possibility of having 6GB of RAM.
It maintains all the greatness of the G6, but it’s still somewhat of a bust considering that the upgrades are so incremental. It would have been all the nicer if only the 6GB RAM variant wasn’t limited to just the Chinese and Korean models. Nonetheless, it’s still one hell of a smartphone that you wouldn’t regret choosing over the original G6, as it only costs Php5,200/$102 more.
The LG G6+ is available over at Widget City for Php31,500/$618. It comes in Black, Blue, or Gold.
Note: Our review unit only has 4GB of RAM, but Widget City is selling the 6GB RAM variant.
(yugatech.com, https://goo.gl/i4PC1o)
Threadripper. Come on, say it with me. Threadripper. Again. It’s just a fun word to say, but the only thing more fun than screaming Threadripper to the heavens is using one to play your games at crazy-high frame rates and multitask with tons of other programs in the background.
AMD teamed with Alienware to create the Alienware Area-51 Threadripper Edition ($2,999 starting, $4,399 as tested). It’s the only desktop in which you’ll find the powerful Ryzen processor, at least until the end of 2017. Unless you plan on building your own system.
The Threadripper is imposing yet alluring all at once and exactly what I picture an alien terminal on a spaceship would look like.
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Read full post here:
https://www.tomsguide.com/us/alienware-area-51-threadripper-edition,review-4581.html
TV speakers suck, but not everyone has the room—or the budget—for an A/V receiver and six or more loudspeakers. A soundbar can fit under or in front of your TV, and a good one will knock your socks off.
Technology has enabled TVs to become ever flatter, thinner, and lighter, but it can’t overcome the laws of physics when it comes to audio. Filling a room with sound requires substantial speakers that can move a lot of air, and those types of speakers just won’t fit inside a thin TV chassis. That’s where soundbars come in.
We’ll explain all the latest soundbar technology, show you the most important features you should look for, and name our top picks in budget, mid-range, and high-end categories. We’ll also provide links to all our reviews of soundbars currently on the market, so you can find exactly the right one for your needs.
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Read full post here:
https://www.techhive.com/article/3197573/best-soundbars.html
Over the last few years, LG has released new V smartphones as part of its broader effort to expand its flagship handset line, typically with an emphasis on video and audio quality, as well as innovative features like dual displays. That’s exactly what the V20 offered.
Credit: Android Authority
Later this month, the company will releasing a new version, the LG V30. We already know that the phone will make its debut in Berlin, just before the IFA trade show kicks off, with an LG-hosted press event on August 31.
But what else do we know about the V30? Here’s a look at some of the features LG has already revealed, along with rumors swirling about the 6-inch phone.
Latest News & Rumors (Updated August 10)
• LG says the V30 will feature dual rear cameras, and one of the lenses will offer an f/1.6 aperture — the widest aperture ever for a smartphone.
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https://www.tomsguide.com/us/lg-v30-rumors-specs,news-25477.html
Powerbanks are a little pedestrian nowadays; though they’ve gone from being something that’s nice to have, to an essential for one’s everyday carry (EDC). When you buy a powerbank, there’s usually two things to consider: battery capacity and aesthetics. ASUS recently outed the newest and, perhaps, the sleekest member of their ZenPower line of powerbanks — the ZenPower Slim. Should it make it to your EDC? Let’s find out.
The Meike MK420 TTL flash is available for Fujifilm and has a Guide Number of 42 (GN42, ISO100, 105mm), an 18-105mm zoom range (14mm with diffuser). The flash also features 4 LED lights for video use and is available for around £125, which is noticeably cheaper than camera companies own flash guns, with prices around £440.
The flash has a zoom range of 18-105mm with a built-in wide-panel and bounce card. When using the built-in wide-panel, the coverage is extended down to 14mm.
The GN (Guide Number) is 42 at ISO100 and 105mm focal length and the flash supports TTL (Through-The-Lens) auto exposure being compatible with TTL for Fujifilm cameras.
The Meike MK420 is available for £125 from Amazon UK, which makes it much more competitively priced than manufacturer’s own flash guns. For example, the Canon 600XE-RT is priced at £449 with a GN of 60, and the Nikon SB900/910 with a GN of 54 is priced at £339.
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Read full post here:
https://www.ephotozine.com/article/meike-mk420-ttl-flash-review-31262
When you’re in the market for a budget TV you have to make some compromises. In the case of the TCL S405 series, you’ll be sacrificing some picture quality to get the best built-in streaming app system around.
Roku TVs like this TCL trounce the built-in app systems on most other TVs. They’re ridiculously simple to use, quick and responsive and they receive constant updates of new features and apps. Streaming staples like Netflix, Amazon Video and Sling TV are front-and-center and just a remote shortcut button away: no need to switch inputs to another device. And the S405 can stream more stuff in the highest quality — 4K and HDR — than non-Roku smart TVs.
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Read full post here:
https://www.cnet.com/reviews/tcl-43s405-2017-roku-tv-review/
The $100 SimpliCam is SimpliSafe’s long-awaited response to customers wanting a camera as part of their home security setup. Buy one (or several) to accompany your DIY SimpliSafe system — or just use them as standalone cameras.
While 100 bucks is a pretty good price for a 720p live-streaming camera, SimpliSafe borrows the same surprisingly rigid fee model from its existing system. That means it charges (optional, but largely necessary) monthly fees, even for the most basic features. Want to view live video via the web app? There’s a monthly fee. How about event-based cloud video storage? Yep, same deal.
Now that so many other DIY security systems — and cameras — exist in the market, SimpliSafe’s approach is growing increasingly stale. Live streaming and other standard features worked fine for me, but is this thing worth $100 (roughly £75 and AU$125 converted)? Absolutely not.
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Read full post here:
https://www.cnet.com/reviews/simplisafe-simplicam-review/
Microsoft might be reconsidering its Consumer Reports subscription today, with the news that the Surface Laptop and Surface Book have both been stripped of their “recommended” status. Concerns about reliability of the Surface line-up as a whole have prompted the review organization to backtrack on its awards, in addition to suggesting that the Surface Pro shouldn’t be among your top considerations for a 2-in-1 hybrid, either. Microsoft is suitably outraged, as you’d expect, and indeed there are some big questions around just what Consumer Reports is testing and how they’re doing that.
As the company puts it, Microsoft finds itself in last place for reliability when it comes to Surface notebooks and tablets. 25-percent of Surface owners experience some sort of breakage by the second year of ownership, it’s suggested. Apple, in contrast, is rated as number one, with a mere 10-percent; Samsung takes the second spot, with 16-percent. It is, at first glance at least, a damning judgment on what have otherwise glowing – including, previously, by Consumer Reports – reviews of notebooks such as the new Surface Laptop.
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Read full post here:
https://www.slashgear.com/microsoft-surface-vs-consumer-reports-what-you-need-to-know-10494722/
For years, Samsung has dominated the Android phone market and it’s easy to understand why. With its latest Galaxy S8 flagship, it delivered yet another top-tier phone with gorgeous looks and a super-fast, reliable performance.
But it’s certainly not the only top choice out there. Chinese-based company OnePlus has been making a name for itself, clawing its way up with its consistent line of premium phones that not only look and work great, but cost hundreds of dollars less than the high-end competition. Its most recent phone, the OnePlus 5, gives the most bang for your buck and earned CNET’s Editors’ Choice award.
But which one should you buy? The OnePlus has an amazingly high value, but the Galaxy S8 is a premium phone of the highest order with very few compromises. Read on to find out which is the phone for you.
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https://www.cnet.com/news/samsung-galaxy-s8-vs-oneplus-5/
Over the past half year, AMD has redefined the processor world with high-core count and affordable Ryzen CPUs. Now, the $999 (£999, AU$1,439) Threadripper 1950X feels even more ambitious. This might just seem like a Ryzen chip on steroids, but it also introduces an architecture and features previously only seen in servers and enterprise-grade computers.
Equipped with 16 cores and 32 threads, there aren’t many processors that can stand up to the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X – including the equally priced $999 (£899, AU$1,449) Intel Core i9-7900X. That said, you’re looking at a thousand-dollar CPU with way more power than most people need. Also, because Threadripper is so different than any consumer CPU before it, the 1950X runs into a few problems that will likely be fixed with time.
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https://www.techradar.com/reviews/amd-ryzen-threadripper-1950x
There’s this idea that TVs with curved panels are generally more expensive than regular non-curved models, since the manufacturing process involved in making them are more complex and extensive than regular models. That maybe true a few years ago, but with the advances in modern panel manufacturing companies like TCL can now churn out more affordable curved displays for the average consumer.
That’s the case for their P3. Priced at just Php 35,595 for the 49-inch curved model, the P3 has all the things that you’d want in a budget Smart TV.
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https://www.unbox.ph/gadget/tcl-p3-curved-smart-tv-49-inch-review-a-great-curved-tv-for-not-much-cash/
Exclusive: New images show off watch from different angles
Fitbit has been openly talking about its smartwatch for several months, but it’s yet to reveal the product itself. Now, Wareable has obtained images of the finalized smartwatch, giving us a no-holds-barred look at Fitbit’s next big device.
Wareable understands from a source close to the inner workings of Fitbit that this we’re looking at the finalized version of the smartwatch-cum-fitness tracker, which is set to launch later this year.
There are three base color variants of the watch: silver case with navy strap, rose gold case with blue strap, and a darker case with a black strap. The pictures reveal it will also have the same button configuration as the Fitbit Blaze – two on the right side, one on the left – and like the Blaze, the back of the watch protrudes to presumably get a better lock on that optical heart rate sensor.
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https://www.wareable.com/smartwatches/fitbit-ionic-review
This is a mid-range gaming laptop that doesn’t have the most cutting-edge components, but still has enough modern parts to power the latest games with impressive frame rates.
In some ways the mid-range laptop market is the hardest one to crack – you can’t just throw in the most powerful components, without caring too much about price, as is the case with high-end gaming laptops, but you’re also not cutting as many corners as possible, as with budget laptops.
Instead, manufacturers need to find the perfect balance between price and power – veering too much either way can end up being a big turn-off for potential buyers.
So, has Gigabyte managed to pull off this balancing act with the Sabre 17? Read on to find out.
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https://www.techradar.com/reviews/gigabyte-sabre-17/2
Recently, Meizu announced their two new flagship smartphones — the Meizu Pro 7 and Pro 7 Plus. And since then, both smartphones have made quite a stir across the internet. The good kind, actually. So without further ado, let’s have a quick run-through of their top features.
Aside from the fact that both smartphones sport a Super AMOLED primary display, Meizu was also able to incorporate an AMOLED display on both smartphones’ secondary screen, namely, the Fenêtre display.
The Fenêtre display sports a 2-inch screen, with a resolution of 240 x 536 pixels. It is used to show notifications, weather, time, and more. It also functions as a music player. What’s more awesome about it is that it can aid in taking selfies using the dual rear cameras (as if its front cam isn’t enough).
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https://www.yugatech.com/mobile/5-winning-features-of-the-meizu-pro-7-pro-7-plus/#sthash.Ej4B93hP.dpbs#Z8hiZdyRzLEGwjF1.97
The mid-range in-ear market is perhaps the toughest to quantify for the regular headphone maker. The devices on offer aren’t quite cheap enough to warrant an impulse buy, nor are they expensive enough to be that ultimate Christmas or birthday purchase. So, for a pair of buds to standout in this price range, they have to take the Goldilocks approach and balance decent features with solid sound to create a device that’s ‘just right’.
Enter the Denon AH-C620 (known as the Denon AH-C621R in the UK) range. These are the sensible sibling to the higher-priced Denon C821R that impressed us earlier in the year.
Box-wise and build quality, there’s not much between the two – despite these Denons being almost half the price.
You get a rubber tidy case (a bag would have been more preferable but it does stop cable tangle) as well as a five extra pairs of earbuds, all designed for slightly different ear canal entrance sizes. One of these are the Comply TX400s which are by far our favorite tip when it comes to in ears thanks to their ability to expand in the ear and create a much better seal.
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Read full post here:
https://www.techradar.com/reviews/denon-ah-c620-ah-c621r
